This invention relates to a process of making a sorbent composition, a sorbent composition made by such process, and a process of using a sorbent composition for the removal of sulfur from a sulfur-containing fluid.
Hydrocarbon-containing fluids such as gasoline and diesel fuels typically contain a quantity of sulfur. High levels of sulfur in such automotive fuels are undesirable because oxides of sulfur present in automotive exhaust may irreversibly poison noble metal catalysts employed in automobile catalytic converters. Emissions from such poisoned catalytic converters may contain high levels of non-combusted hydrocarbons, oxides of nitrogen, and/or carbon monoxide, which, when catalyzed by sunlight, form ground level ozone, more commonly referred to as smog.
Much of the sulfur present in the final blend of most gasolines originates from a gasoline blending component commonly known as “cracked-gasoline.” Thus, reduction of sulfur levels in cracked-gasoline will inherently serve to reduce sulfur levels in most gasolines, such as, automobile gasolines, racing gasolines, aviation gasolines, boat gasolines, and the like.
Many conventional processes exist for removing sulfur from cracked-gasoline. However, most conventional sulfur removal processes, such as hydrodesulfurization, tend to saturate olefins and aromatics in the cracked-gasoline and thereby reduce its octane number (both research and motor octane number). Thus, there is a need for a process wherein desulfurization of cracked-gasoline is achieved while the octane number is maintained.
In addition to the need for removing sulfur from cracked-gasoline, there is also a need to reduce the sulfur content in diesel fuel. In removing sulfur from diesel fuel by hydrodesulfurization, the cetane is improved but there is a large cost in hydrogen consumption. Such hydrogen is consumed by both hydrodesulfurization and aromatic hydrogenation reactions. Thus, there is a need for a process wherein desulfurization of diesel fuel is achieved without significant consumption of hydrogen so as to provide a more economical desulfurization process.
Traditionally, sorbent compositions used in processes for removing sulfur from sulfur-containing fluids, such as cracked-gasoline and diesel fuel, have been agglomerates utilized in fixed bed applications. Because fluidized bed reactors have advantages over fixed bed reactors, such as better heat transfer and better pressure drop, sulfur-containing fluids are sometimes processed in fluidized bed reactors. Fluidized bed reactors generally use reactants (e.g., sorbent compositions) that are in the form of relatively small particulates. The size of these particulates is generally in a range of from about 1 micron to about 10 millimeters. However, conventional reactant particulates generally do not have sufficient attrition resistance (i.e., resistance to physical deterioration) for all applications. Consequently, finding a sorbent with sufficient attrition resistance that removes sulfur from these sulfur-containing fluids and that can be used in fluidized, transport, moving, or fixed bed reactors is desirable and would be a significant contribution to the art and to the economy.